NMBCU Open 2025 (A)
28 players participated in this 6-round tournament, held from 23 May 2025 to 25 May 2025 in Gqeberha, South Africa. 2 titled players. Top 10 Elo average was 1765, and top seed was Jack Van Zyl-Rudd (🇿🇦 RSA, FM, 2218).
Jack Van Zyl-Rudd (🇿🇦 RSA, FM, 2218) won with 5.5/6, ahead of Neathan Peter (5.0) and Ismaeel Lagardien (4.5). Van Zyl-Rudd won solo starting round 5.
The biggest upset came in round 3: Othandwayo Gcwabe (1558) beat Tiaan Bouwer (1764), a +206-point gap.
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How it unfolded
Top 6 · 6 roundsFM Jack Van Zyl-Rudd led from R5; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 3 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R5.
FM Jack Van Zyl-Rudd held the sole lead from R5 through R6 without losing it.
FM Jack Van Zyl-Rudd drew with CM Neathan Peter (White).
FM Jack Van Zyl-Rudd 3 wins (R1–R3)CM Neathan Peter 3 wins (R1–R3)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1FMJack Van Zyl-Rudd | * | ½ | — | 1 |
| 2CMNeathan Peter | ½ | * | ½ | — |
| 3Ismaeel Lagardien | — | ½ | * | ½ |
| 4Vianco Freeman | 0 | — | ½ | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Van Zyl-Rudd, JackFM | 2218 | RSA | +12N | +10B | +5N | =2B | +4N | +9B | 5.5 | 20.0 | 22.5 | 20.00 | 2243 | +1.6 |
| 2 | Peter, NeathanCM | 1960 | RSA | +13B | +11N | +16B | =1N | =3B | +8N | 5.0 | 19.0 | 21.0 | 16.00 | 2037 | +22.4 |
| 3 | Lagardien, Ismaeel | 1807 | RSA | +20N | +24B | =4N | =5B | =2N | +7B | 4.5 | 18.5 | 19.5 | 12.75 | 1841 | +9.4 |
| 4 | Freeman, Vianco | 1670 | RSA | +19N | +26B | =3B | +7N | −1B | +16N | 4.5 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 9.25 | 1870 | +24.8 |
| 5 | Muller, Kaden | 1661 | RSA | +23B | +21N | −1B | =3N | =6B | +11N | 4.0 | 18.5 | 19.5 | 9.75 | 1898 | +30.0 |
| 6 | Booysen, Jait | 0 | RSA | F | +19B | +26N | =12B | =5N | +13N | 4.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 7.25 | 1538 | 0.0 |
| 7 | CHIPUNZA, James | 1572 | RSA | +15N | +17B | =10N | −4B | +16B | −3N | 3.5 | 16.5 | 18.5 | 8.00 | 1660 | +22.4 |
| 8 | Mtshekexe, Usemhle | 1590 | RSA | +22B | −16N | +17N | =9B | +12N | −2B | 3.5 | 15.0 | 16.0 | 7.25 | 1580 | -7.2 |
| 9 | Gcwabe, Othandwayo | 1558 | RSA | +28B | F | +23N | =8N | +13B | −1N | 3.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 5.25 | 1771 | +28.8 |
| 10 | Jaffray, Joseph | 1603 | RSA | F | −1N | =7B | =11N | +23B | +17N | 3.0 | 16.0 | 17.0 | 6.25 | 1751 | +27.2 |
| 11 | Moller, Sarah | 1665 | RSA | +14N | −2B | =20N | =10B | +22N | −5B | 3.0 | 16.0 | 17.0 | 5.75 | 1468 | -30.0 |
| 12 | Swanepoel, Diego | 1444 | RSA | −1B | F | +24N | =6N | −8B | +14N | 2.5 | 17.5 | 18.5 | 5.50 | 1552 | +12.8 |
| 13 | Baloyi, Tumelo | 0 | RSA | −2N | =14B | +19N | +20B | −9N | −6B | 2.5 | 16.5 | 18.0 | 4.25 | 1531 | 0.0 |
| 14 | Mbelekane, Hloma | 0 | RSA | −11B | =13N | +15B | −24N | +20N | −12B | 2.5 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 5.25 | 1362 | 0.0 |
| 15 | Mangcotwya, Lihle | 0 | RSA | −7B | F | −14N | +27B | =25N | +22B | 2.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 1.25 | 772 | -16.8 |
| 16 | Mathebe, Ababalwe | 1704 | RSA | F | +8B | −2N | +21B | −7N | −4B | 2.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 5.00 | 1576 | -35.6 |
| 17 | Van Rensburg, Adriaan | 0 | RSA | F | −7N | −8B | +25N | +21N | −10B | 2.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 2.00 | 1360 | 0.0 |
| 18 | FIDE 14376695 | 0 | — | F | F | +27N | −22B | −19B | +20N | 2.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 1.50 | 650 | 0.0 |
| 19 | SIHEWULA, Achuma | 1450 | RSA | −4B | −6N | −13B | F | +18N | =21B | 1.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 2.75 | 1366 | -8.8 |
| 20 | FREEMAN, Nicole | 0 | RSA | −3B | +28N | =11B | −13N | −14B | −18B | 1.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 1.50 | 1543 | 0.0 |
| 21 | Mahomed, Ihsaan | 1448 | RSA | F | −5B | +22N | −16N | −17B | =19N | 1.5 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 1.75 | 1332 | -16.8 |
| 22 | FIDE 534024441 | 0 | — | −8N | F | −21B | +18N | −11B | −15N | 1.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 2.00 | 755 | 0.0 |
| 23 | Bouwer, Tiaan | 1764 | RSA | −5N | F | −9B | +28N | −10N | F | 1.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 0.00 | 807 | -84.4 |
| 24 | Kapp, Jacinto | 1597 | RSA | F | −3N | −12B | +14B | F | F | 1.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 2.50 | 826 | -37.2 |
| 25 | Bowkers, Delcine | 0 | RSA | F | F | F | −17B | =15B | F | 0.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 1.25 | 1515 | 0.0 |
| 26 | Hammond, Anees | 0 | RSA | F | −4N | −6B | F | F | F | 0.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 0.00 | 870 | 0.0 |
| 27 | FIDE 534024450 | 0 | — | F | F | −18B | −15N | F | F | 0.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 0.00 | 715 | 0.0 |
| 28 | Bothma, Liandri | 0 | RSA | −9N | −20B | F | −23B | F | F | 0.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 0.00 | 861 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
- 1Muller, KadenRSA+30.04.0 pts · #3
- 2Gcwabe, OthandwayoRSA+28.83.5 pts · #10
- 3Jaffray, JosephRSA+27.23.0 pts · #9
- 1Bouwer, TiaanRSA-84.41.0 pts · #28
- 2Kapp, JacintoRSA-37.21.0 pts · #22
- 3Mathebe, AbabalweRSA-35.62.0 pts · #8
- R3+206 Elo gap
- R5+161 Elo gap
- R3+153 Elo gap